Process of chilling and aerating fluids and device for carrying out said process



PROCESS oF CHILLING AND AERATING FLUIDS AND DEVICE FOR Oct. 18 1927.

T. A. FEE, JR., ET AL CARRYING OUT SAID PROCESS Flled Deo 8 1926 INVENTORS 7% ur FCL: 177' o-a/f ATT NEY Patented Oct. 18, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT` OFFICE.

THOMAS ARTHUR FEE, J R., OF VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA, AND HARRY LAMB, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

.PROCESS O CHILLING AN D AERATING FLUIDS AND DEVICE FOR CARRYING OUT .SAID

' PROCESS. y

r'Application 'ledDecember 8, 1926. Serial No. 153,342.

Our invention relates to the process of chilling' and aerating a fluid, and to a device for carrying out said process.

For purposes of clearness and definiteness of illustration, our invention will be described as applied to the chilling of lard whereby the same is transformed from the lard in a semi-transparent liquid form to the viscous state, as we commonly know lard. However, be it expressly understood that our invention is not to be deemed limited to any such specific application, but the same is coextensive with all fluids where analogous problems and conditions obtain. One such other fluid is ice-cream. Our process relates to changing a fluid to a liquid or from the liquid to a viscous state or changing a gaseous fluid to the viscous state.

In the manufacture'of lard according to the practice heretofore commonly obtaining, the lard, after being heated in the rendering retorts, is conducted to the' lard roll .which comprises a large metal roll with means on the inside to cool the same so that when the lard is caused .to be poured upon the exterior of the drum the lard will be cooled as the roll revolves and caused to adhere to the cooled drum, and while so adhering to the drum is caused to revolve against a knife edge which presses against the roll at the point where the lard has been sufficiently cooled to assume a viscous state. The said knife edge operates as a\scraper to remove the lard so that it falls intofa beater or pickle pan chamber where beaters whip air into the lard and at the same time tend to cause the lard to move towards lthe pump and this pump 'determines the pressure under which the lard is supplied to the packing department.

Many serious objections obtain to this arrangement. In this chilling of lard one of the important steps is its proper aeration. According to the above process it will be noted that the lard enters upon the roller entii/ely exposed to the atmospheric air of the room. This roll is some eight feet long and about five `feet in diameter, therefore, the amount of exposure is great. Also, be it noted that the lard upon being passed to the beaters is subjected to having the atmospheric air beaten into it. Furthermore, it will be noted that there is in all this ordinary process no control over the introduction of air as to amount. When the level of the lard 1n the beater ory pickle pan is reduced so that the heaters in part of their revolution are partially exposed, it results in the introduction of a relatively much greater proporlarge barrel containers provided it is not too badly aerated. If the latter is the situation, 1t is then necessary that it be returned to the rendering room and re-rendered.

Furthermore, in the above it will be noted the. unsanitary character of the process. The lard is exposed to thel odors that may prevail 1n the atmosphere of the particular district in which `the plant is located, and is exposed to flies and dust. Moreover, according to the above named process it will be noted, that from the knife edge around the roller to the point of pouring on the new supply of liquid lard, the roller is exposed to the air in the atmosphere. The cold roller condenses moisture from the atmosphere and causes the moisture to collect on the face of the roll yand even forms frost thereon. This hinders the'adhering of the lard to the roll, and is highly objectionable in that it adds water to the lard. If this does not render the lard entirely unusable, it lowers the grade so that a considerable loss is incurred.

The primary objects of our invention are to provide a process and adevice for chilling such a fluid as lard which will eliminate and overcome these various objections and which will provide advantages which are hereinafter set forth.

A primary purpose of our invention is to provide a regulated aeration of the fluid, and to do this in a closed device with air that has been washed and purified, also to remove said fluid from contact with the atmosphere of the room in which the process is being conducted so that the same is chilled under sanitary conditions away from exposure to Y odors, dust'and flies in a mechanism positively closed to all such.

A further primary purpose of our invention is to provide for a uniformity of pressure for the chilled fluid in the conduit conducting the Same to the packing room.

4the' end of putting said fluid under a uniform pressure we apply the pressure to the liquid fluid as it comes from the rendering retorts.

According to the present practice the cooling of the'lard roll owing to its extreme size requires considerable time and when once cooled is not easily rendered of a higher temperature so that according to common practice the lard .isrendered the day before 1t is to be packed, and is allowed to run to the chilling roll and obviously suoli lard does not require a roller cooled to the same degree that is required Where the lard is run directly from the rendering retort to the chilling roll. That is, where the conditions permit the lard is allowed to cool as it is possible to economize on the refrigeration and thus the lard may be run through just so much morequickly. According to present practice no means is provided for readily adjusting the temperature of the chilling means to the temperature of the liquid lard. In plants whe/re a large roll is used and Iwhere great capacity is required, it is common practice to pre-chill by running over a smaller roller previous to running over the la'rge chilling roller.

A primary purpose of our invention is to provide a process of chilling and a device for carrying out the same which is readily adjustable to the required degrees of temperature on the part of the refrigerating nens to the temperature of the rendered According to present practice, considerable difliculty is involved in cleaning the apparatus when its operation ceases. The practice is to draw olf lard to the packing room from the pickle pan until the amount of air introduced by the beaters is so great that it cannot be packed any longer in small containers and it becomes necessary to draw the remainderl otfinto barrels, and thereafter the operators scrape the beater blades and the pans.

Another primary purpose of our invention is to provide a process and a means for carrying out`said process which will permit the lard to be conducted to the packing room in a uniform condition as to air, irrespective of how much lard there may be in the chilling part, and when it is desired to cease operations to cause Whatever lard there is in the chilling or condensing retort to be conducted to the rendering retort and the entire device cleaned by increasing the air pressure of the lines leading thereto.

They above mentioned general objects of our invention together with others inherent in the same are attained by the device illustrated in the following drawings, the same being a preferred exemplary form of embodiment of our invention, throughout which drawings like reference numerals indicate like parts:

Figure 1 is 'a view in longitudinal cross-A section of a lard cooling device embodying our invention.

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional View on-dotted line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional vieW on dott-ed line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a view of the beater element; and

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view 011 dotted 4line 55 of Fig. 1.

A retort 6 is supplied with a plurality of material receiving tubes 7 (which are slightly longer than the retort to allow for contraction), said tubes being mounted in the disks 8 and 9 which close the end of said retort. Inlet ports 10 are provided for the admission of a refrigerating fluid to said retort whileport l'l is provided as an outlet for said refrigerating fluid. A disk 12 is provided with ports 13 which are of smaller diameter than the diameter otl said tubes arid register with said tubes. An apertured disk 14 is revolvably mounted on shaft 15. This apertured disk 14 is mounted in the feed chamber 16 formed between disk 14 anu end housing 24. The material inlet conduit 17 communicates directly with said feed chamber, and air inlet port 1S communicates with said conduit 17. At the opposite end of the cylinder is disposed a beater chamber or pickle pan 19 formed between disk l2 and end housing 25. Beater blades 20 are revolvably mounted upon shaft 21. Shaft bearings 22 serve as a means for withdrawing the material'from the pickle pan, which has outlet port 23.

The mode of operation of a device embodying our invention is as follows A fluid such as lard in a heated freely flowing semi-transparent liquid form is introduced through pipe 17 to the feeding chamber 16. Cleansed air for aeration purposes may be introduced into the incoming lard through port 18, so that the material being operated upon in chamber 16 is subjected tov pressure. Aperture'd disk 14 which 1s caused to revolve by means of shaft 15, which may be connected up by any suitable power means (not'shown) serves to intermittently open and close communication from chamber 16 with tubes 7. These tubes 7 are subjected to a refrigerating Huid which may be admitted through ports 10 and withdrawn through port 11. The fluid is then caused to pass into said tubes and be cooled or chilled so that it is reduced to the viscous condition. Its movement through the tubes -is provided for by the intermittent application ofv the pressure built up in the fluid in the feeding chamber. The entire eil'ect of this pressure is applied to a limited number of the tubes at a time. This intermittent action provides. for a slowing up of the fluid as it flows through the tubes, so that it is exposed to the chilling effect to lwhich the tubes necessary for its change of state.

tubes themselves are subject, and at the same time there is provided such a concentration of the pressure by the revolving of the aperturcd disk 14 that there is no clogging of the tubes by the condensing fluid. If it were not for this intermittent action the fluid might be caused to pass through the tubes at such a velocity that there Would not be necessary exposure to the refrigerating action of te s the fluid in a viscous state rises in the pickle pan 19 the beaters 20 operate to stir and intermiX the material into a homogeneous mass, and at thesame time the matter is subject to the fluid pressure developed upon the fluid by the pressure applied to the fluid in causing it to move through the inlet conduit 17, and the pressure of the air entering through port 18. T he pressure thus developed causes the material to'flow through outlet port 23 to the metering and filling device in the packing room.

lt is manifest that the air employed for aeration purposes, as well as the fluid being operated upon, is prevented completely from coming in contact with the air of the atmospliere, so that a most sanitary device is provided for carrying out this part of the process of manufacturing lard. The excluding of` the fluid from contact with the air in this manner prevents it from coming in contact with the odors of the atmosphere which it might otherwise readily absorb, and also prevents the introduction of any Water which may depreciate the grade of the lard, said water being derived from the condensing of the humidity in the atmosphere, as Well as prevents any possibility of any dust or insects reaching the product. Furthermore, it is manif-est that the amount of air through port 18 for aeration purposes may be regulated with precision, which is very much in contrast with the present process Where the beaters operate upon the fluid while completely exposed to the atmosphere, and the amount of air Which is caused to intermix with the fluid depends upon the depth of the fluid in the pickle pan, this depth varying decidedly when machine is about to be shut down.

Furthermore, subject-ino' the fluid to a pressure previous to its being chilled and causing this pressure to be communicated lthrough the chilled fluid to the material in the beating chamber, thereby provides for the vary import-ant result of causing the fluid to pass through the outlet port 23 under a inform pressure. The subjecting of the material in the outlet conduit to a uniform pressure and conveyin it under this pressure to the metering an filling device in the packing room is a most important advantage.

The step of treating the fluid to the washed and cleansed air under control presand e beaters in the beating chamber further insure a homogeneous product.

Obviously the product resulting from treatment in the device embodying our invention is entirely free of the objections ob# taining to the present methods indicated above which arise When the material in the pickle pan becomes smaller in amount. Furthermore it is manifest that the device is readily cleaned by merely admitting air of any 4desired pressure to the feeding chamber 16.

. Obviously the degree of chillingmay be readily controlled by changing the temperature of the refrigerating fluid. Any such change in the temperature ot' the fluid would manifestly be quickly registered in the product since there is only the material in the individual tubes involvedas contrasted with the large heavy metallic roll of the present practice design.

The air entering through port 18 may be pre-cooled so that there is no `tendency for it to add to the heat of the incoming fluid but will operate to pre-cool the fluid.

The function of the disk 12 in providing apertures of smaller diameter than thc .diameter of the tubes provides for greatly increasing velocity of the material entering the tubes, and, in short, subjects the material in the tubes to a jet action or to intermittent bombardment as it were. This disk 12 may be omitted Where the character of the m...- terial is such that it may be caused to pass through the tubes Without provision being made for such jet action.

Obviously changes may beV made in the form, dimensions and arrangement of the parts of our invention, without departing from the principle thereof, the above setting forth only a preferred form of embodiment.

We claim- 1. A device of the character described embodying a retort having therethrough a plurality of fluid receiving tubes; means Whereby refrigeration may be applied to said tubes; a feeding chamber disposed at one end of said retort; and means whereby air under pressure may be admitted to said chamber whereby said fluid may be forced through said tubes.

2. A device of the character described embodying a retort and having therethrough a plurality of` fluid receiving tubes; means whereby refrigeration may be applied to said tubes; means whereby air under pressure may be admitted to said tubes whereby said fluid may be forced through said tubes; a fluid beater chamber disposed at one end of said retort; and beating means in said beater chamber.

3. A device of the character described embodyingl a retort having therethrough a plurality of fluid receiving tubes; means Wheresure rovides for a uniformity of 'aerationA by refrigeration may be applied to said tubes; means Whereby air under pressure may be admitted to said t-ubes whereby said fluid may be forced through said tubes; a feeding chamber disposed at one end of said retort; and `a disk disposed across the end of said retort. said disk having a ertures smaller than the diameter of said tu es, said apertures registering with said tubes.

4. A device of the character described embodying a retort having therethrough a plu- Y rality of fluid receiving tubes; means whereby refrigeration maybe applied to said tubes; means whereby air under pressure may be admitted to said tubes whereby said fluid may be forced through said tubes: a

fluid beater chamber disposed at one end of said retort; beating means in said beater chamber; and a disk disposed across the end of said. retort having apertures of smaller diameter than the diameter of said tubes, said apertures'registering with said tubes.

5. A device of the character described embodying a retort having therethrough a plu- 1 ra'lity of fluid receiving tubes; means whereby refrigeration maybe applied to said tubes; means whereby air under pressure may be admitted to said tubes whereby said fluid may be forced through said tubes; a fluid feeding chamber adjacent one end of said retort; a `disk disposed across thel end -of said retort having apertures of smaller diameter than the diameter of said' tubes, said apertures registering with said tubes; and means revolvably disposed in front of said apertured disk whereby communication between said feeding chamber and said tubes may be intermittently opened and closed.

6. A device of the character described embodying a retort having therethrough a plurality of fluid receiving tubes; means whereby refrigeration may vbe applied to said tubes; means whereby air under pressure may be admitted to said tubes whereby said fluid may be forced through said tubes; a if.'

fluid beater chamber disposed at one end, of said retort; beating means in said beater chamber; a disk disposed across the end of said retort having apertures of smaller diameter than the diameter of said tubes, said apertures registering with said tubes; and a butterfly disk revolvabl disposed in front of said apertured disk w iereby communica.-

tion between said `feeding chamber and said A tubes may be intermittently opened and c'losed.

7. The /process of chilling and aerating` a fluid comprising the steps of introducing air under pressure to the fluid chilling, and beating said fluid whereby the amount of air introduced into the fluid is directly controlled and the fluid and the air admitted is prevented from being exposed to the atmosyphere.

8. The process of chillin and aerating'a l introducing air intermittently THOMAS` ARTHUR FEE, JR. HARRY LAMB. 

